Last of us: Bonding
by SMM040502
Summary: Jake hasn't had it easy since his parents died five years, when he meets Ellie the wounds of his past begin reopening during their journey across the country. Ellie sees this and tries to help Jake over come the pain of his past. Set between the winter of left behind and winter of the last of us, part of Another one of us series.
1. Chapter 1

Last of Us:Bonding

Hey guys I'm back. So yes I did cancel Missing but that doesn't mean that there isn't going to be anything else one the last of us from me. This is a shorter story that is in a idea that came to me two sleepless nights ago or one morning ago. Anyway enough about that onto the story. Enjoy.

* * *

It's been a few weeks since the two teens escaped the mall with their lives and now back on the road with their elder protector Joel. Winter wasn't treating them well, they were both freezing cold and Joel's condition was worsening as a result. Ellie turned back to see the bearded man who had risked his life for them. He was still, you'd hardly be able to tell he was alive the only sign being his small frosty breaths.

"Not looking good for him," Ellie stated quietly.

"Once we get to some shelter we'll worry about fixing him up," Jake reassured "Which is what I'm working on now. Stop here," Jake said as he got his horse to halt and Ellie copied. They had stopped in front of an old broken down house which didn't seem to solve their shelter problem. Jake then dismounted his horse "I hear people round the corner of this building, 5 to be exact. Gotta be shelter nearby then. I"m gonna go deal with them you stay here."

"Are you cra-"

"Don't worry," Jake cut off "I've dealt with worse, and someone has to watch old sleeps a lot," Jake said with a still expression but Ellie still wasn't convinced, she had a look of worry on her. Joel was already in such a state, she didn't want anything happening to Jake. Jake seemed to pick up on this a gave a small reassuring smile "I don't plan on dying here so don't worry," Jake said and walked away from Ellie. He stuck to the wall the broken building and started listening for movements. "Four on the ground in a diamond formation, one on a house," Jake thought and pulled out a smoke bomb. He waited for right moment to throw it and when it arrived the smoke bomb was launched into the middle of the four on the ground. The sniper was then distracted by the smoke so Jake emerged and threw a knife right at his chest killing him. He then ran into the smoke with another knife in hand and stabbed three of the men by hearing their movements. The smoke had cleared before Jake had got to the fourth but it didn't matter he was as good as dead in Jake's eyes. He slowly walked up behind the man.. one step at a time. "You're finished," Jake said once he was behind him and the man started shaking with fear, he wanted to turn but fear stopped him, he stood rooted in his spot. "Fool," Jake said and plunged his knife into the man's stomach and blood spilt out. The man feel to the floor still with a look of fear in his eyes and death approached him, he looked at his murderer to see the face of a child but with the eyes of a killer and blood of others on his face.

"How… you're just a kid?" the man struggled to ask

"A kid that has the blood of many of his hands," Jake said with a grin "It seems more blood than on you."

"What… the hell… are you?"

"A killer. Now say goodnight." Jake said then stabbed him one more time in the throat. Jake rose from the ground and turned to the house "Ellie come on," Jake shouted and the teen came over with both horses and the man they were pulling. The two went over to the garage door and Ellie dismounted to open it up "There are still some people inside, get the horses and Joel in the garage then meet up top," Jake said then walked to the stairs that lead up to the front door of the house, he pulled out his pistol then listened for movements inside."Two people, cowering in a corner, like taking the life of a baby," He slowly moved the handle on the door and opened as slowly as possible causing a creaking when he entered he saw a mother and daughter in each other's arms slumped in a corner, the mother shakily holding a pistol in her hands.

"St st stay back," the woman shivered but Jake took no heed and moved towards them slowly "I'm I'm warning you," the woman stuttered but her words were empty. Jake crouched down in front of them and grabbed the gun from the woman's hand and threw it across the room.

"Are you… afraid?" Jake said tauntingly instilling more fear in them "Scared?" Jake asked and stood up "You should be," he said then pointed the gun at the mother "Be afraid because death is coming for," Jake said then shot the mother and the small girl screamed and began crying "There there child, no need to cry. You'll be with her shortly," Jake said and then shot the girl. Blood oozed from both of their heads and Jake smiled satisfied with his 'work'. He went into the kitchen set his bag down on the floor and then sat on of the chairs with his forehead in his hand. Ellie then emerged and looked at Jake confused by the state he's in.

"Jake?" Ellie asked with innocence in her voice though she was far from innocent. Jake looked up and saw the worry in her eyes, no not worry, fear.

"Idiot you can't act like this around her," Jake thought as he remembered and composed himself. He stood up and started walking to the door.

"Where are you going?" Ellie asked with urgency in her voice.

"I need some fresh air."

"Are you kidding it's freezing?!"

"So naive," Jake said as he walked outside, once outside he rested his arms on the railing and looked into the distance to find only destroyed buildings and snow. Jake reached into his back pocket and pulled out a faded photo of his family. Snow begun falling onto his hands and he began to fondly remember time when his only worry was what he and his sister would do for fun. He then begun humming to the tune his mother sang when they were little.

Hm hm hm hm hmmm hm hm hmmm hmm hm hm hmm hm hm hmmm hm hm hmmm hm hm

This tune was etched into him since he was young but the words now escape him.

Hm hm hm hm hmmm hm hm hmmm hmm hm hm hmm hm hm hmmm hm hm hmmm hm hm

Hm hm hm hm hmmm hm hm hmmm hmm hm hm hmm hm hm hmmm hm hm hmmm hm hm

Hm hm hmm hm hmm hm hm hmm

"I will love you always, never doubt that," Jake said "The only words I can remember to that song," Jake explained and Ellie then walked forward to stand next to him. "I wonder if you can see me, and whether you'd still love, after what I've become," Jake contemplated.

"It's sounds really nice," Ellie said and then looked at the photo in Jake's hands.

"Look at us with those fat ass grins on our faces," Jake said talking about his younger self and his sister "Ignorant of everything, so stupid and naive," Jake said then put the picture away "Well some things aren't meant to last."

"Are you ok?" Ellie asked and Jake shook his head with a small smile on his face.

"So naive. I'm not ok. I don't feel anymore. This cold is nothing compared to the cold in me," Jake explained then Ellie put her and hand on his and flinched slightly from the touch.

"You do feel. You were worried when Joel got injured. You cared even when he said he didn't about you. And you worry about me, that's why you came with me. Not just because Tess told you to but because you care. Someone who feels nothing can't care," Ellie explained and Jake turned to look at her and saw the truth in her words "Everyone feels, no one can live without feeling, it's what makes us who we are."

"I suppose," Jake replied simply and then looked at her hand that was locked in his. His eyes then moved to her arm, the one with the bite "Dose it hurt?" he asked remembering how much that bite hurt his head after a day. Fear stopped him from pulling the trigger that day, not sure whether to be thankful for that or not.

"It used to but now it's fine," Ellie replied "And what about you?" Ellie asked and Jake turned in confusion "You may not have an infected bite, but you have something else hurting you, don't you?" Jake moved his arms off the railing and turned his whole body to face her.

"Yeah," Jake said with a sigh "I think about it everyday. It hurts," Jake said and Ellie placed a hand over his chest.

"Here?" she asked and Jake gave a nod "Get that blood off your face, not something that should be there," she said then moved her hand to wipe away the blood. Her touch was soft on his skin it felt so foreign. Jake grabbed her hand, it seemingly moving on it's on, while it was on his face and they starred at each other for a moment. They moved closer together and could now feel their cold breaths on each other, inches apart. They moved closer once more and just as their lips were about to touch, it seemed all of Jake's closed up wounds opened all in an instant and a wave of emotion came over him. Sadness, pain, guilt and fear of loss, all these and more came over him and was physically shaken from it. "What's wrong?" Ellie asked.

"Idiot, how could you let yourself come to this. How many times do you tell yourself not to get attached?" Jake thought he then turned to face away from Ellie.

"Jake?"

"Go."

"What?"

"Just leave me alone," Jake reiterated.

"No I'm not going to,' Ellie said and grabbed his hand but Jake moved it away almost on instinct.

"I said leave me alone. Please."

"Why? Tell me so I can help. Open up a little it won't hurt you."

"It already has," Jake muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Please just go. Something that I don't want will happen if you don't."

"Fine. I'll be inside if you want to talk about it," Ellie said then went back through the door.

"Damn," Jake said then punched the wood pole holding up the porch roof of the house then continued to do so. "She hates you now why did you do that. And not even that why tell her that stuff getting attached will just hurt you more how many examples do you need?" Jake thought as he kept punching the post "Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. You fucking idiot. YOU FUCKING IDIOT," Jake thought.

It was night fall now Ellie had checked the food, checked up on Joel, made sure he was warm and did some reading but Jake hadn't come back inside yet. She was about go check when she heard the door close and saw him enter with a somber expression about him. Ellie quickly noticed that Jake's hands were bleeding. "What did you do?" Ellie asked then went over to him and pulled him into the kitchen and sat him down. Ellie gingerly cleaned away the blood and heard nothing from Jake as she did so, his mind seemed else where. She then bandaged both of his hands and put away the supplies. "All done. Now come we need to get some sleep," she said and pulled him out of his chair. "I gave Joel some the blankets in the other room so we won't be cold but it doesn't seem like it will be enough. And we can't really get him out of that thing so he was to sleep on the garage floor. So I gave him all the blankets except one," Ellie explained and they entered the room which had the remaining blanket and Jake just realised what was happening.

"I'll sleep on the floor in my sleeping bag," Jake said and went to go get his sleeping bag but Ellie grabbed his hand causing him to turn around.

"It's too cold to do that and you know it."

"So what do you want me to share a bed with you?" Jake asked and Ellie blushed deep crimson and nodded her head causing Jake to also blush "Are you serious? You know what that means right?"

"I know what it means," Ellie replied "This is to keep both of us warm. And I… trust you… I wouldn't agree to do this with just anyone," Ellie said and the second part caused both of them to blush even deeper. Jake composed himself and saw that Ellie was right, it would help them stay warm and if she agrees then he has nothing to complain about.

"Fine,"Jake sighed and they both slide into the bed together with Jake keeping to one edge of the bed as much as possible.

"Are you serious? You gonna stay there the whole night? You're gonna fall. Come on, move over here," Ellie said and Jake moved closer to her until he was no longer on the edge. Jake's face was still red from the awkward circumstance and sighed through his nose.

"This is what I've come," Jake thought and rolled on his side with his back facing Ellie. After a few minutes Ellie slid closer to Jake a put an arm over him and Jake reddened again from the touch

"Hey Jake, I'm having a trouble sleeping and I'm bored," Ellie said teasingly "Whaddya say we have a bit of fun?" Ellie asked and giggled afterwards then started tracing her handf over him.

"Ah what the hell Ellie?" Jake asked as he jumped out of bed and Ellie burst out laughing. Jake was not amused at all his face now a very deep crimson. Jake then got back into bed and laid there in silence with an embarrassed look on his face while Ellie laughed her lungs out. After about five minutes of Ellie laughing the night away she had finally stopped but still had a smile on her face.

"You should've seen your face it was amazing," Ellie said with a light giggle in her voice and Jake rolled his eyes in response "You reacted like it would be such a bad thing."

"That's not what I meant," Jake replied.

"Then what did you mean, well go on Jake," Ellie teasing and Jake scowled in response "Oh I'm messing around with you, calm down."

"Just go to sleep," Jake said as he rolled over.

"Alright fine," Ellie replied.

"Goodnight Ellie."

"Goodnight Jake."

* * *

And there it is, I decided to put that last bit in to lighten the mood a bit and it seemed in Ellie's character to Joke around like that. The next thing I write is probably going to be more backstory for Jake but I'm not sure yet. Anyway let me know how you felt about that story and Merry Christmas.


	2. questions for future works

Hey this isn't an actual story update I just wanted ask some questions and this is my most recent work so I'm doing it here.

So first how did you guys like the change from first person to third person? Until now in the series it was always first person with the perspective changing but I figured to try third person.

Was Ellie in character? I kinda struggle to keep Ellie as the character she was originally created as so I was wondering if you guys think it's ok.

What do you guys think about Jake's character? I've got a few reviews on my fanfics with Jake in them but none of them have ever actually talked about Jake as a character and how they feel about him.

And last would you guys like a fanfic on Jake's time in the Boston QZ and how he became who is? And if so would you want it in third or first person? I'll probably write this fanfic anyway but I want to gauge interest in it.

Also I made a slight change to the ending of chapter 13 of Another one of us Rewritten since a lot of people told me that the ending of that didn't seem to fit. Anyway it would really help if these were answered and until next time bye.


	3. Chapter 2

Ok so I know I said that this was a oneshot but I had an idea that thought would fit in with this so that's why. Also I'm in the process of writing a detailed backstory for Jake so expect that, this might also get updates that tie in with that but I'm not sure yet.

Chapter 2

A few days passed after Jake and Ellie arrived at their temporary residence, winter was in full force but the two teens had began acclimating to the cold. The same could be said for Joel however, he was already in such a state and the cold didn't help the problem. Jake was currently on the rooftop of the house keeping watch, or at least he was supposed to be, he was scribbling away at his sketch pad that he took when left he house all those years ago. He sketched every area, from the surrounding houses to the trees with snow all over them in the distance, the boy had learnt all of his artistic and musical skill from his mother, he remembered those days when he and his sister had nothing to do so their mother would teach how to speak Bengali or how to play the violin or help with their drawing, they were a few of the things they did to keep themselves entertained. The days in which his biggest worry was not when his next meal would be or how many bullets he had left but how he would spend his day with his family. Jake sighed as he reminisced about his carefree life.

"I shouldn't think about this," he said in the language his mother taught him, another relic of his past life. The child then brought out the knife his mother gave him as a memento. "This came in really handy. Thanks mum," he said as he looked at it "Sorry mum, dad, I couldn't protect Mary, and I changed in a really bad way. I kill and revel in it, it probably disgusts you, I've meet all lot of shitty, broken people these few years, none that take such pleasure in causing others harm," Jake said "I guess I'm a failure huh. I was useless for you, you got infected, I couldn't protect Mary, couldn't protect Marcus, couldn't protect Paul, couldn't protect Jesse, Michelle and James could be dead, I couldn't protect Tess, I couldn't protect Joel and I couldn't protect the memory you had of me. Looking back my life has been nothing but failure and worst of all I'm failing again," Jake lamented as his thoughts strayed to the red head in the house below "I fear I won't be able to protect her, that'll she be next. I'm distancing myself from her, not from hate but out of fear, fear of loss. I guess I'm already trying to prepare for the worst," Jake sighed.

The lamenting teen was then dragged from his thoughts by the distant crunch of snow and was suddenly alert. "Two of em in front," Jake deduced from footsteps and then tried to further identify them "One woman and a kid, maybe 4 at most," Jake thought and then heard another crunch of snow in a different direction "He thinks he can flank me from the side. It seems they're a family," Jake thought "The kid doesn't deserve this, I'll give them a chance but if push comes to shove I'll kill em," Jake said and then threw a knife at the spot he thought they would emerge from "Leave now I already know you're there," Jake shouted as a warning "Come any further and I will kill you," Jake said now more of a threat then a warning. The man on trying to flank him had drew an arrow and had inserted it in the bow. "At least he has the sense not to use a gun and alert infected in the area," Jake mussed and the two others emerged and Jake drew an knife in each hand. "Too bad... for you," Jake said just as he was about to throw the knives.

"Please don't kill us!" the woman shouted in fear and broke into tears realising that death is upon her, this act caused Jake to pause for a second.

"So this is the kind of person that she is. This world isn't meant for the weak, I'll do my part and get rid of them.

"Please we can be of use! Just please don't kill use," the woman begged. Jake heard the man began to pull his arrow back ready to release it so he got onto his back to avoid the arrow and slide down the roof and onto the ground in front of the house. Once Jake got his footing he ran straight towards the woman and child and the woman crouched down began clutching the child tightly. A grin emerged on Jake's face as he kicked the woman away from the child.

"Mum!" the child shouted but his cries were soon silenced as Jake picked him up by the throat and held a knife to his neck. "He's been starved, he's too light to not have been," Jake thought as the child thrashed in Jake's grip "You could make yourself useful by dying," Jake suggested to the woman "Any smart moves and the brat gets it," Jake warned Ellie then emerged from the house and looked on as to what was happening.

"What the fuck?" she asked herself "Jake stop!" she shouted at him "Stop we can help each other! Don't kill them!" Ellie shouted her demands.

"Yes we can help each other," the woman begged.

"No," Jake cut off sharply "If you're weak enough to get beaten like this, you're just a liability," Jake said then threw the knife in his hand at the man with the bow killing him, Jake then repeated this on the mother. Jake then felt tears from the child slide down onto his hands. "Cheer up brat, you'll be joining them soon," Jake taunted and then slit the throat of the child and dropped on the floor where his body when limp. Ellie ran towards Jake and threw her arms around him.

"Why?" she asked as she hugged him though it was not returned "You didn't have to you know," Ellie said but Jake pulled out of her hug and began walking past her. After he few steps Jake stopped and let out a chuckles.

"Why you ask? Because this who, no, what I am," Jake replied and continued walking away and climbed back up to the roof of the house.

He resumed drawing the scene before him but heard steps following after him and Ellie soon sat down on the roof next to him.

"I never knew you could draw," Ellie said as she looked at the image intently "It looks nice," she said.

"You don't know a lot of things about me," Jake replied still scribbling away at his drawing.

"I guess I don't, so why don't you tell?"

"Because I don't want to remember anymore than I already have. It's complicated you wouldn't get it."

"Why, explain it to me," Ellie said but Jake remained silent "I know how you feel, it's hard losing people you care for."

"Yeah, I'm sure you do," Jake said with sarcasm in his voice.

"What are you trying to say?"

"You've been alone since the beginning, you have no parents or siblings. It's because I had those ties that I feel this pain, how can you possibly understand that?"

"I do, I've felt the same pain but that doesn't mean you act like."

"What do you know? Maybe if I killed everyone you've ever cared for, maybe then I'd listen to you because maybe then you'd have some kind of idea as to how I feel."

"Well there's two problems with that. One you'd have to kill yourself," Ellie said and Jake froze breaking the lead of his pencil in the process "And you're a little late. I've been around too Jake, maybe not as long as you but I've had people I've cared about killed," Ellie said and Jake turned away from her feeling horrible for what he said. "But hey we're not all that bad off," Ellie stated and Jake turned back in surprise "At least we found new people to care for," she said and Jake thought of her and Joel. Ellie then got up and left Jake to think. Once she was gone Jake threw his broken pencil in the distance that he was drawing and punched the roof.

"Damn it," Jake muttered.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: song used is In a spell by Pink feathers, also I couldn't find the lyrics online so I wrote what I heard so it may not be a hundred percent accurate.

A week had passed since Ellie and Jake's attempted pep talk and Jake was still distant from Ellie and everything else it seems. Ellie couldn't help but feel sympathy everytime she looked at the broken teen and into his eyes. The eyes that have seen so much pain, eyes that made so many suffer, eyes that killed so many faces. His eyed radiated with warmth when he rarely smiled and gave of a contagious cold when he was saddened. You could look into those eyes an see an endless abyss of pain and trauma. Jake then shifted in the bed he was sharing with Ellie and looked out the window.

"6:45 or so," the broken boy deduced and then looked to see Ellie's arm around and then to her face. "She looks so at ease, though imagine in it isn't like that in her head, at least she's good at keeping a brave face on and she hides her wounds well," Jake thought as he looked at her "None of us in this world are innocent and if they are they won't stay that way. Is what I thought. Yet when I look at you I see innocence, because you kill out of necessity not pleasure. Does that make someone innocent?" Jake mentally questioned "In any case you're more innocent than I am. I wonder will a day come when you have seen what I've seen, experienced what I have and will the day come when you posses the same eyes as me," Jake pondered while still gazing at the auburn haired girl. Jake then slowly removed her arm and quietly got out of bed so that she doesn't wake her, unlike Jake Ellie wasn't quite used to a lack of sleep and needed more of it keep her energy throughout the day so Jake let her rest. After a certain incident a year or so ago Jake had become somewhat of an insomniac, his nights were either plagued by thoughts of his failures and the times he did get his limited sleep were filled with recollection of loss. Jake walked from the room he slept in to the room Joel lay dormant. "Hey there old timer," Jake said as he walked up to and crouched in front of Joel. Joel let out a puff of frosty air in response as if that were his way of communication. "Looking pretty hungry there, I guess how's as good a time as any hunting," Jake said as he got up and got his gear to together "And I'm talking to myself again, wonderful," Jake said.

Jake had returned from his hunting trip and was now cooking the meat of a few rabbit be hunted in the garage. "As silent as ever old man, although I guess I can't really talk, Jess always complained about my anti socialness," Jake remarked with a fake smile on his face.

"Ell...ie," a voice struggled to huff out "Jake... Sar...ah," Joel said once more and this left Jake confused as he pondered the significance of Joel saying this three names. Jake then heard the soft footsteps of Ellie coming down the hallway into the garage "Breakfast is on the table, well actually that's a lie it's really on the floor," Jake said and Ellie the sat down next to Jake where she then took a cut piece of the rabbit from where it was being heated above a fire.

"When did you go out and get this?" Ellie asked.

"About an hour or so ago."

"Why do you wake up so early?"

"Habit," Jake replied simply and then took a bite out of a piece of rabbit then began chewing. Once it had been chewed enough he then spat the meat into Joel mouth but he still struggled to swallow it.

"Were you always like this?"

You mean a psychopathic murder who scares the shit out of ninety percent of people."

"Yeah."

"Well obviously when I was a naïve brat I hadn't murdered anyone and I was fairly normal until about a year or so ago, an anti social freak but normal."

"What changed?"

"I saw the world for what it was?"

"What do you mean?"

"This world is one of constant strife, where you live with the fact that bonds are made meaningless because high death rates. Anyone who is special is taken away. In this world you either die or live long enough to see yourself become insane. Everyone will inevitably end up like me and see the world as worthless."

"Then why haven't pulled the trigger yet?"

"Because I'm too damn afraid," Jake chuckled "It doesn't end when you die it ends when you lose hope, something I lost long ago," Jake said his expression one unchanging and completely blank.

"What caused you to see the world like this?"

"Love," Jake replied which confused Ellie "When someone learns to love they must also bear the risk of loss,pain,suffering and hatred."

"But having friends and loved ones are the thing that keeps you going in this world," Ellie argued.

"That maybe true but when they are constantly snatched from you one by one and the strife caused by this eats away at you until you have no hope and can no longer love or trust."

"But those who cared and loved you won't want to see you like this but happy."

"Happiness doesn't exist in this world because the sadness far out weighs it. Those who cared would want you to survive, to survive in this world you must love only yourself and fight only for yourself."

"But what is the point in surviving like that?"

"I survive like that so I can respect and honor those who have fallen longer and continue their wish of me living on, as well as seeing the future for them no matter how dark it maybe."

"So does that mean no one ever meant anything to you, that I've never meant something?"

"As I said that is how to survive but I had failed in that regard. I always told myself to not get attached as it leads to a darker path, but I show to much weakness and allow myself to be attached. Inevitably I will die and therefore have failed to survive. Joel is another example of this,he became attached and look where he is now."

"Don't say that!" Ellie snapped at Jake "I don't want to imagine losing him."

"Yeah, as much as I hate to admit."

"So am I weak because I become attached and chose to care."

"In this world it is either use or be used there is no time to care. What is that saying I've no time for waxing sentimental. Jude's law number four: Caring equal vulnerability, never show either."

"You're wrong Jake, caring doesn't make you weak. It's true in this world that losing friends can hurt but not caring for those friends is even worse."

"I wonder, you say these words now," Jake said and then looked away "Will there be a time where you share my views. Will there be a time where you will come to know hatred," Jake said and Ellie said nothing "I wish that it would never come to pass but there is an inevitability of this where all experience hate at least once.

"At least once?"

"Well I suppose there is away to climb out of that hole that exists, but in my time I've never met anyone who has done it, it might be impossible."

"It's not impossible, they and you have just stopped trying. You said it yourself it doesn't end when you die but when you lose hope," Ellie argued using Jake own point against him which caused him to smile.

"So Naïve."

"Why do you always say that I'm not a child that you can dote on you know," Ellie complained.

"You've experience less of the real world and have less of on understanding of it. Plus I'm fifteen now so I'm pretty sure I'm older than you."

"Why didn't you say your birthday had passed?"

"What point is there in celebrating something so trivial?"

"There is a point Jake," Ellie said "Anyway I'm not some kid I understand this stuff as well, and you're like this because you stopped trying."

"Just look," Jake said as he began to roll up his sleeve and Ellie saw a forearm littered with the slashes of the knife. Ellie had seen many gruesome things in her time traveling with Joel and Jake alone so his arm didn't bother her as much but the mutilated skin this looked rather gruesome "This world turns love into hate, happiness into sadness, sanity into insanity. It forces barely grown children to pick up a gun and fend for themselves. It makes people raise a blade against themselves as a form of escape. This world, no rather this hell, is what turned me into who I am."

"How long have you been doing this?"

"About a year or so," Jake replied and Ellie then caressed the arm and Jake flinched slightly from her touch, something that had becoming increasingly common. It's not that Jake disliked Ellie or her touch, but there was a strange care in her touch that felt so foreign and unhuman, almost like no strife had come her way.

"Please stop," Ellie said almost begging and Jake shuddered at the words "If it ever hurts come to me instead of knife, even though you carry them around everywhere. Please," Ellie persisted and Jake silently nodded even though he would likely break that promise just like he broke the trust of his friends when he let them die. He then remembered one of the "nicknames" he was branded with during his time as a smuggler. Jinxed Jake, because someone would always die when one a job with him. "Promise me you'll try to get better."

"I'll..try," Jake said hesitantly even though that was another promise he'd likely be breaking.

"Well now that all the sad talk is out of the way. Let's lighten the mood a bit," Ellie suggested and scooted a little closer to Jake "Hey can you sing please?" Ellie asked.

"What?" Jake asked in confusion.

"Oh come on please," Ellie practically begged like the way a child would to their parents. Joel then let out a puff of air that was visible from the cold "See even Joel wants you to sing," Ellie said and Joel let out another.

"God damn it Joel," Jake thought to himself and then looked at this teenage companion who was giving him doe eyes to try and persuade him "This is what I've come to," Jake thought then pulled out his mother's knife "Watch me mum, see if I've gotten any better," Jake spoke in Bengali "Alright you win," Jake conceded like he did last time and Ellie's face bubbled up with a smile which caused Jake to smile in response.

The tide is coming in and I feel like I'm tethered to sun

The doors are closing at the strike of twelve and I'm still not in

I've given up

I've given up

So what's the point in trying

I've given all I am and all I am is nothing to give

Noooo

Nooo Nooo

The time is now the there's only now to turn the course of our lives

To fight the notion that we take in time on earth all in strides

I want much more

I really do

So what's to stop me from this

A chance to turn the tide, to change your mind on what makes a liife

Woaaaah

Noooo-ooo

Noooo

I'm not quite ready to give, so don't mistake me for your old dear

Your old dear

I maybe foolish oh yes

I'd rather be a fool than stay here and wait heeeeere

In a spell

In a spell

I've drowned the thoughts I'd had of all the things that never could be

It's far to easy just to resolve to living someone else's dream

I've had enough

I really have

So what's to stop me from this

It seems so simple just to turn away on one's own beliefs

Woaaaaah

Nooooo-ooo

Nooooo

I'm not quite ready to give, so don't mistake me for your old dear

Your old dear

I maybe foolish oh yes

I'd rather be a fool than stay here and wait heeeeere

In a speeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell

In a speeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell

It seems a little bit crazy, to walk away without envy

I thought has a reasoning for this

Nooooooooooo

I tried living your story

And the end I gave everything

So keep my faithful and let me

Goooooooooo

I'm not quite ready to give, so don't mistake me for your old dear

Your old dear

I maybe foolish oh yes

I'd rather be a fool than stay here and wait heeeeere

In a spell

In a spell

"Fucking Awesome," Ellie said and Jake smiled.


End file.
